Grady

Such a bad game. There is basically no “gameplay” at all, and it’s like watching a movie. At this point, Sony just needs to release TLOU as feature films instead of pairing the story with half-assed broken gameplay that’s easy to exploit. They couldn’t even get the story right either, and it’s filled with SJW pandering. Ellie’s character development is non-existent, and her personal “revelations” are a complete joke. Not surprised people are returning this game or breaking the disc in half, it’s that bad

This game is what Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was to the original Super Mario Bros. It sticks so closely to the template of its predecessor, that it ends up feeling more like an expansion pack than a brand new game. The whole experience will feel very familiar to Yoshi's Island fans, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, the first game was a masterpiece. I don't see why the critics feel that the lack of innovation is a shot in the foot for Yoshi's New Island. Super Mario Galaxy 2 got fantastic reviews, and it barely differentiated itself from Super Mario Galaxy 1. So why does Yoshi's New Island get bashed for doing the same thing? It's like ordering a delicious, juicy steak at a restaurant, loving it, then coming back a week later to order the same steak, and this time, you hate it. It doesn't make sense at all. And as for the art style, it looks fine. Think of it as Yoshi's Island if it were translated into Playstation 1 pseudo-3D graphics. I can't really illustrate that to you, but take a look at some videos of the game in motion, and you'll see what I mean. It's not a bad visual-style, and to me, it's kind of reminiscient of Yoshi's Story on the N64. For those of you out there who are on the fence about buying this game after seeing such mixed reviews, I'd urge you to disregard them, and try the game out for yourself. Being a huge fan of the orginal Yoshi's Island, I was just as worried as everyone else was when this game was announced. I wasn't confident at all that it could compare to the original, and I'd already been burnt by Yoshi's Island DS, which was a major disappointment for me. Thankfully, I'm happy to say that Yoshi's New island comes very close to the greatness of the original. Closer than I ever imagined it would. So please do not hesitate to pick this up. Do yourself a favor, and ignore the critics who are lambasting the visual style, or complaining about the level design, because as far as I'm concerned, those complaints are completely un-founded. Yoshi's New Island is a blast to play, there's lots of content, lots of hidden secrets, and it comes remarkably close to the greatness of the original game. I couldn't ask for anything more.

For fans of Crashmo and Pushmo who are on the fence about buying this, I will tell you this: I am having a more enjoyable time with Minis on the Move than I have ever had with Pushmo or Crashmo. And I absolutely loved both of those games. Minis on the Move succeeds where Pushmo and Crashmo failed, at least in the online department. You have the option to create and share your levels in both games, but in Pushmo and Crashmo you had to scan QR codes to give and receive levels, which made sharing them a very disconnected and inconvenient affair. Minis on the Move allows for a simple upload to an online database which takes about 5 seconds. there is even a popularity meter next to the level you created so you can gauge how many people are playing it, which I think adds to the replay value significantly. The minigames included in Minis on the Move aren't anything to write home about, but they're fun in short bursts, and they provide a decent diversion from the main game. They also provide incentive to collect the mario coins included in each level in the main game, which unlock additional modes and levels for these minigames. The main game is highly entertaining, but I will warn you, the difficulty does ramp up considerably after the 12th or 13th level, so only puzzle game enthusiasts should consider buying this. The difficulty is the main reason why there has been a generally mixed reaction to this game, but I assure you that the game itself is so engrossing and deep that you will hardly mind. In my opinion, the high difficulty only adds to the fun factor and replay value, so it's a plus.

Despite how well this game is designed from a gameplay perspective, we should NOT allow EA the satisfaction of thinking that we are perfectly fine with an always-online interface by purchasing SimCity. If we buy this game, we are telling EA: "I'm completely okay with your decision to make this game all online, all the time! Why don't you do that with ALL OF YOUR OTHER GAMES?" If games like these see financial success, gamers like us will be continually screwed for the years to come. Game companies will no longer see the value in making a single-player experience at all. They will push un-wanted (and un-necessary!) social features on us until we eventually start to believe what they are trying to tell us right now: "You guys wanted this, right? We're just giving you what you wanted!" NO. ****! This isn't right. EA knows that, and you know that, so let's make it perfectly to them that we will not support this intrusive, obnoxious, and completely unnecessary inclusion into what would've been an incredible game. Vote with your wallet.